I Became the Finance Director of an Academy on the Verge of Bankruptcy – Chapter 127

Chapter 127

I Became the Finance Director of a Kingdom on the Verge of Civil War – Part 3

『 Translator – Divinity 』

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“…It’s been a while, Your Highness Beatrice.”

“It truly has been a long time, General Cartea. You were the one who saw me off when I left as a hostage.”

“A hostage, you say? You were simply studying abroad—”

“You don’t mean that, do you?”

“…The border dispute with Akendelminos hasn’t been resolved yet. Your Highness, why have you come here?”

In the largest tent, the command post,

Cartea, the commander of the troops stationed here and one of the generals of the Delphia Kingdom, let out a sigh.

It was naturally because of Amatriuss Delphia Beatrice, who was smiling brightly in front of him.

“Did you perhaps receive permission from Akendelminos?”

“No way. Look at the state of our country.”

“Then you’re saying you escaped without permission. Please return immediately. If it’s discovered that you returned without permission…”

“If it’s discovered?”

“…Your Highness?”

“What will happen if it’s discovered? The Delphia Kingdom might cease to exist. If the Duke of Wei wins, a new kingdom will be established.”

“………”

He can’t believe she’s the first to mention that.

Princess Beatrice was also a member of the Delphia royal family. It was naturally a fear shared by all royals that the Duke of Wei, who committed treason, would win the civil war and establish a new kingdom in his name.

The other royals that General Cartea had seen only thought about it, never daring to voice the possibility.

But Beatrice was talking about the end of the royal family with a smile on her face.

“Do you think the Duke of Wei will spare the royal family? Ah, maybe some of my brothers and sisters dream of that. The dream of becoming a puppet king or queen and barely clinging to life.”

“…Your Highness.”

“It’s a foolish thought. Especially for those who have seen the Duke of Wei more than me, who was confined to a corner of the royal palace. That greedy man… he’s someone who rebelled despite being treated so well. He won’t stop until he’s at the top.”

The Duke of Wei. What kind of treatment did the Delphia Kingdom give him to bring him in and keep him there?

A country without a Rank 8 was ultimately a weak nation, without even the right to participate in international relations. Rank 8s were that important, so to keep the Duke of Wei, who was originally a mercenary, the Delphia royal family showered him with all sorts of support and benefits.

They gave him a tenth of the kingdom’s territory as a duchy, abolished the original duke, and bestowed upon him the grand title of Duke of Wei. They exempted him from taxes, gave him various concessions and privileges, and even sent a royal princess as a concubine.

“They should have been wary and prepared ever since he accepted my third sister as a concubine, not even as his official wife.”

“Your Highness, how could we prepare? Our kingdom was able to stand above other weak nations thanks to the Duke of Wei. Have you forgotten all the humiliation the previous king suffered when the Holy Kingdom was the dominant power?”

“Then why didn’t they just give him the throne? It’s true that the Duke of Wei was a necessary existence, but we clung to him too desperately.”

Just looking at the neighboring kingdom, they weren’t unconditionally supporting the Headmistress, who was said to be the strongest among the Rank 8s, but were keeping her in check in many ways.

Royalty, who held a higher position by birth, and a Rank 8, who held a higher position by power, were in a relationship where they had to coexist and oppose each other. Of course, such checks and balances were only possible because Akendelminos had three other Rank 8s besides the Headmistress.

Could he say that the current king’s policy was completely wrong? It was thanks to the Duke of Wei that the Delphia Kingdom could have a voice in international relations.

And moreover,

“If it weren’t for the Duke of Wei, we would have been conquered by Akendelminos long ago. Just like how the Empire conquered other smaller countries.”

“…That’s just hindsight. In the end, the Duke of Wei committed treason. I might be wrong, but the reality is clear.”

The Duke of Wei seen by a powerless royal and the Duke of Wei seen by a general who had to protect the country were definitely different. You could say that Beatrice was too naive and only focused on the results.

But the result was one and the same. The Duke of Wei committed treason and captured the current king, declaring his execution in a week.

In the end, he was determined to tear the Delphia Kingdom apart.

Therefore,

“Where is my brother?”

“Crown Prince Zeke is facing the Duke of Wei.”

“Where exactly?”

“He’s fighting against the Duke of Wei’s forces.”

“You’re not planning on telling me, are you?”

“…I might be in this state, but I’m still a general of the Delphia Kingdom. I can’t let royalty walk to their death.”

“Walk to their death, you say.”

“Please return to the academy now. Even the Duke of Wei won’t be able to interfere there. I’ll pretend I didn’t see you…”

“That’s because I’m ultimately incompetent, isn’t it? A pathetic woman born with a chronic illness that prevents her from controlling magic, unable to use her talent.”

[Chain Binding]

“Ugh!?”

Cartea was one of the lower-ranked generals in the Delphia Kingdom. He was currently Rank 6, but it was believed that he could reach Rank 7 if he steadily trained for over ten years.

He, who was appointed as a general due to his potential and talent, couldn’t even sense the activation of the magic. That meant Beatrice had reached a level beyond even Rank 6.

Purple chains erupted in an instant, tightly binding General Cartea’s hands, feet, sword, and even his body.

Beatrice, unleashing the mana she had been concealing, stood up and looked down at the general.

“But… do I still seem incompetent to you?”

“Y-your Highness. Don’t tell me you cured your chronic illness…!!”

“I haven’t completely recovered, but I succeeded in managing it. As expected of one of the best academies on the continent.”

Beatrice, glancing towards a certain direction outside the tent, had ten artifacts hanging on her waist, clinking softly.

She still had to reach a state of mana exhaustion and use magic through artifacts, but her transcendental talent had long since made her accustomed to it.

Now, it was almost awkward for her to not be in a state of mana exhaustion.

Beatrice, without revealing that secret, gave Cartea a cold look.

“I’ll ask one last time.”

“………”

“Where is my brother?”

“…He’s near the capital, in the direct domain of Maktern. That’s all I know.”

“When are you planning to lead the troops here?”

“W-we’re scheduled to depart in two days. To gather there two days before His Majesty’s execution and prevent it.”

“Good.”

“Ugh!”

Thud!

She released the chains, but because she didn’t show any consideration for Cartea, the roughly unraveled chains pierced his entire body. He was instantly covered in wounds, but Cartea didn’t frown or protest.

He simply knelt before Beatrice.

“Congratulations on overcoming your chronic illness! His Highness the Crown Prince will be overjoyed to see your current power!”

“…I have two companions. I’ll be waiting with them, so depart as quickly as possible.”

“As you command!”

Leaving those words behind, Beatrice exited the tent. But even after she left, Cartea remained kneeling with his head bowed.

She was a mage of at least Rank 6. He had to be far away, to the point where Beatrice couldn’t be sensed by his aura detection, to avoid her watchful eyes.

Finally, after Beatrice was far enough away, Cartea stood up.

“…It hasn’t even been a year since she went to the academy.”

To think that she overcame the chronic illness that even the Delphia royal family couldn’t cure in such a short time and even reached Rank 6…

They said it was a talent acknowledged by the Archmage; it was truly a transcendental, even shocking talent.

Even Cartea himself had only reached Rank 6 after decades of training and real-life combat. And she reached Rank 6 in less than a year?

Cartea, letting out a hollow laugh for a moment, soon had a serious expression.

‘If this is the case… should I send the information about Beatrice to the Duke of Wei?’

Cartea, who had been pretending to be loyal while secretly colluding with the Duke of Wei’s faction and waiting for the right time to betray them, was in a predicament.

As a general, he could clearly see the outcome of the civil war. Most of the regular army had sided with the Duke of Wei, and although Crown Prince Zeke’s side had more soldiers, most of them were newly conscripted peasant soldiers.

He had planned to ambush the rear and cause chaos once they reached the Maktern domain and then slip away, but…

‘If I do that, I might be killed by that princess.’

If she were the incompetent princess she used to be, he would have kidnapped her and brought her to the Duke of Wei. How did she become such a monster in just a year?

…He had a headache, but there was a more pressing issue.

This was the border of the neighboring kingdom, the southernmost tip, so they had a long way to go to reach the Maktern domain.

‘And we’re out of supplies.’

The nobles from the surrounding territories had already fled with their possessions, and the commoners and peasants had been conscripted as soldiers. They were barely holding on with the looted supplies, but it was impossible to reach the capital like this.

Betrayal or not, they had to reach their destination first, but even that seemed impossible now.

If he couldn’t contribute properly, even if the Duke of Wei won, all that awaited Cartea was a purge or dismissal.

‘What should I do? We’ve already looted almost everything around here.’

They were short on supplies overall, but they were especially low on food and horse feed.

To be precise, they were fine for now. The problem was that everything would rot or spoil in a day or two.

‘We’ve slaughtered a lot of livestock, but the meat spoils quickly. We’re also low on hay and salt for the horses.’

With the civil war looming, merchants stopped coming to the Delphia Kingdom, and trade with neighboring countries was also impossible. And most of the fertile lands that produced food, salt, and water were in the north, where the Duke of Wei was based.

They had to find a way to preserve the meat and vegetables that were already starting to rot.

As Cartea’s worries deepened,

“G-General Cartea. Urgent report.”

“What is it? Did Princess Beatrice send it? Or the Crown Prince?”

“No, sir. It’s from the soldier guarding the back gate of the barricade.”

“What?”

Wasn’t the back gate of the barricade where Princess Beatrice came from?

Why would a soldier from there…?

“If it’s a useless report when I already have so much on my mind…”

“It’s about the person who accompanied the princess.”

“A companion…? It must be the escort who went to the academy with her.”

“N-no, sir. It’s a man named Karl Marx.”

Marx? Not Suzanne?

Cartea remembered because he was the one who escorted Beatrice, the hostage disguised as a student abroad, to the border. Was there someone else besides the Rank 5 escort named Suzanne?

“Why? What about him?”

“That man called Marx, he’s a merchant, sir.”

“A merchant? He’s alone. What kind of merchant comes with nothing?”

“…He’s a salt merchant, sir.”

“Salt? Salt, you say?”

Cartea’s eyes widened. Salt was a precious commodity that could solve all their current problems.

They could salt the meat and vegetables, it was essential for the horses, and it was the most difficult material to obtain right now, so it could be a great contribution to the Duke of Wei after his betrayal.

Even though the Duke of Wei monopolized the little salt they had, it was still always in short supply.

Cartea, having found a miraculous lifeline, shouted urgently,

“Q-quickly bring him in! Now!”

“There’s no need to rush, General. I’m already here.”

It wasn’t the messenger who answered Cartea’s urgent call, but a white-haired man who entered the tent. It was obvious that he was the salt merchant named Marx.

Cartea immediately smiled, gestured for the messenger to leave, and exaggeratedly welcomed Marx with open arms.

“Marx! I apologize for my late greeting. I am Cartea Draudville. I have the humble position of general.”

“I am Karl Marx. A humble salt merchant.”

“Humble, you say! You are the ones who sell salt, the most important commodity in this war. I should have sought you out first, I apologize.”

Of course, he had no intention of seeking him out first, but Marx was practically Cartea’s lifeline now. Cartea showered him with compliments without missing a beat and gave him a meaningful look.

“I don’t know how you came to accompany Princess Beatrice, but you’re also a merchant, so you must be here to make a fortune, right?”

“Of course. It was just a fortunate coincidence that our paths crossed with the princess.”

“I see. There’s no need to beat around the bush. I’ll buy all the salt you brought! All of it!”

If he weren’t accompanying Beatrice, he would have killed this foolish merchant who came alone to a country on the verge of civil war and taken the salt.

He licked his lips in regret, but the salt he bought now would return to him several times over later. Moreover, the amount of salt that Marx, the salt merchant, brought didn’t seem like much.

‘I hope it’s enough to last at least a few days.’

If it wasn’t, he would have to conserve it as much as possible and increase the amount of salt to offer to the Duke of Wei.

Right after Cartea finished his calculations and made eye contact with Marx,

“Thank you for your offer, but shouldn’t you see the quantity first?”

“…Hmm, that’s true. How much do you have? I’ll tell you in advance, we have about a thousand soldiers here. It would be good if it’s enough for them to use comfortably.”

“It should be about this much.”

“………”

Cartea, receiving a piece of paper from Marx, was speechless.

It wasn’t because the quantity was insufficient.

‘What should I do…?’

It was because there was too much.

It seemed like even if he sold all his remaining assets, he wouldn’t have enough money…